On 30 December 2020, the final extended meeting of the JINR Directorate was held at which milestones of the Institute’s activities in 2020 were summed up.

The key issue of the meeting’s agenda was the report by JINR Director Academician Victor Matveev in which he noted the main results achieved in the laboratories and offices of the Institute. Victor Matveev noted that in spite of difficult working conditions caused by the pandemic, the JINR staff acted as a team, managed to implement most of the plans and achieve bright results in the flagship projects, such as the launch of the Booster of the NICA collider and the first experiment at the Superheavy Element Factory. The JINR Director highlighted that along with the continuity in the further development of the Institute, the vision of prospects is getting particularly important.

In conclusion, on the occasion of the expiration of the term of office of the JINR Director, Victor Matveev expressed deep gratitude to all members of the Directorate and leaders of the Institute for close creative cooperation, high level of responsibility, and great contribution to the organization of the Institute’s activities to implement the JINR development programme according to the Seven-Year Development Plan. “The experience you have is a great wealth. I think that all of us are ready to provide the new Institute’s Directorate headed by Grigory Vladimirovich Trubnikov with the necessary support in transferring this experience and using it,” Victor Matveev highlighted.

JINR Director-elect Academician Grigory Trubnikov taking the office from 1 January 2021 noted personal merit of Academician Victor Matveev that the Institute is currently in the excellent state. Grigory Trubnikov conveyed greetings from Prime Minister of Russia Mikhail Mishustin and Minister of Science and Higher Education Valery Falkov to the audience on the occasion of the first beam at the NICA Booster. “The Prime Minister wrote ‘Well done’ on the form of the oscillogram of the Booster circulating beam,” Grigory Trubnikov said and added that the Russian Government seriously counts on JINR in terms of both science and staff training, which means, first of all, a new level of responsibility. Academician Trubnikov noted that the Institute sets a number of tasks for the future year that include not only serious scientific goals but also the expansion of the participation in the city’s life in the areas of medicine and education. The elected Director highlighted that the changes in the Institute’s management structure necessary for the implementation of these plans should not be revolutionary but evolutionary instead. “The Institute’s ship managed by Victor Anatolievich overcame very well the past decade, this difficult, turbulent time. It is huge personal merit of Academician Matveev that the Institute has a lot to be proud of at the end of this period. Thank you, Victor Anatolievich, for everything you have done, and we will do a lot more together,” Grigory Trubnikov concluded his speech.

Participants of the meeting, among which there were members of the Directorate, heads of offices and laboratories of JINR, warmly thanked Victor Matveev for work done as the JINR Director. It was noted that the period of management by Academician Matveev will go down in the history of the Institute as an era of a formidable step forward, significant scientific results, and development of the JINR research infrastructure. Representatives of the Institute’s management expressed hope to continue joint work in the future with Victor Matveev as JINR Scientific Leader.

Summary information was traditionally provided by heads of JINR laboratories and departments as well. W. Chmielowski, S. N. Dmitriev, S. N. Dotsenko, M. G. Itkis, D. V. Kamanin, D. I. Kazakov, V. D. Kekelidze, R. Lednický, B. Yu. Sharkov, V. N. Shvetsov, A. S. Sorin, A. V. Tamonov spoke at the concluding meeting of the JINR Directorate.